


Birdsong

by Jock_Casual



Series: Birdbrain [2]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: First Times, Hurt/Comfort, I don't know what else to say, M/M, Reconciliation, good ol' boring sex my dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 13:58:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20836628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jock_Casual/pseuds/Jock_Casual
Summary: After the events of Birdbrain, reconciliation is not as easy as Jayce would have thought.





	Birdsong

Jayce is head-on-desk miserable, literally, when Vi enters his workshop that morning. 

“Dude. Good morning to you too.” Jayce grunts in response, his forehead against the cold surface of the desk. “So, what happened? Did it work? I’m guessing no. ” 

Jayce makes a weak noise at the back of his throat in response. After everything that had happened to them throughout the last few month with Birdbrain, Blitzcrank, and everything, Jayce had really thought that his relationship with Viktor may just be on the brink of true reconciliation. That, however, hadn’t been the case. After they kissed that night, Jayce had hoped it would be a new beginning for them. For fuck’s sake, he had told him that he loved him, embarrassingly long confesion included. Viktor seemed to reciprocate his feelings just right. Had Viktor changed his mind since then? Did he not want him anymore? It’s a possibility he’s starting to consider quite seriously.

Jayce has been trying everything that has come to mind to make Viktor open to his affections again. He regularly goes down to Zaun to be with him, they sometimes work together, eat and talk, but Viktor is always at arm’s length no matter what he does. 

Last week, he had built up the nerve to try to kiss him again, but when he tried Viktor dodged him with wide eyes and just continued to talk about work as if nothing had happened. Since then, Jayce has tried to talk to him to no avail. Last night, Jayce even brought along a new book and Viktor’s favourite coffee from the place they used to go when they were younger, Jayce had ordered it just the way Viktor liked it: ninety percent milk, one percent coffee, lots of sugar. When Jayce gave it to him, Viktor looked at it for a few seconds and drank it in one gulp, saying ‘I remembered it better’. After that, he just continued to work ignoring Jayce’s presence altogether. 

“No matter what I do, he won’t talk to me. Maybe he’s changed his mind, maybe he doesn’t want to be with me anymore.” Jayce talks, forehead still stuck against the desk. He hears Vi tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. 

“Viktor doesn’t look to me like the kind of guy who would be in a relationship he doesn’t want to be in. Actually, I think he’s the kind to dump your ass in one lapidary sentence.” Jayce looks up then, humming with approval. 

“I think you’re right.” 

“Also, and I say this with your best interests at heart, you’re gonna get yourself dumped if you keep pressuring him.” Vi clicks her tongue, crossing her arms over her chest, “I’m just saying, Jayce, I know Zaun. It’s tough shit.”

“I’m not a teenager, ok? I know how to handle this. I’m not gonna bully Viktor into loving me, I’m just trying to… connect with him, you know.” Vi arches a single eyebrow, skeptical. Jayce tries to cheer himself up. He can do this. 

  
  
  


* * *

Viktor sits on a pipe above the lower levels of Zaun, legs dangling over what would be a mortal fall. The city of poison and chemicals is quiet tonight and Viktor observes as its green vapors ascend towards Piltover’s clean, starry sky. Taking in the sight of the city, it occurs to him, for the first time, that Piltover sleeps on corpses, that its bed is a mattress of blood and flesh upon which the heads of the rich dream and rest, forever unworried and unmoved by their crimes. He grinds his teeth until his molars hurt. The view makes him angry all of a sudden, hateful, bitter. 

No, not  _ all of a sudden _ , he thinks. It’s a dormant hatred that he carries in his heart at all times. Sometimes he just feels it less. Sometimes he just gets distracted by life and forgets about it. It’s a cycle he’s cursed to walk forever, feeling guilty for forgetting in the first place, for allowing himself to disregard the injustice and misery Zaun goes through, even for a second.

The longer he forgets, he thinks, the stronger the pain when it drags him back to the beginning.

Why did it happen this time? Jayce. Ideas of love. 

One has to laugh. 

_ That same night Naph had rushed into his lab, pale and sweaty, begging him to save his friend. The child had fallen into a chemical waste pool while playing, and not knowing how to swim, the child had thrashed for a long time inside the green waters, swallowing some of it. When Viktor finally arrived it was almost too late. The child lied coughing on the metal floor of the sublevels, his face of an unnatural grey shade and his eyes staring blindly up, looking for something in the air. Viktor knelt beside him, checking his pulse. It seemed to him that the child’s wrists were too slim, that the child was too small. He couldn’t be over five years old.  _

_ Viktor turned, Naph was crying in silence with his fists clenched at both sides. Just like an adult would, Viktor thought.  _

_ The child had no family, they said then.  _

_ “I need to take him to my lab, maybe it’s not too late”, Viktor said in response. He didn’t know what else to say. The lot of them looked at him, tall and scary, and held hands with each other, tears in their cheeks.  _

_ Viktor turned again if only to avoid their eyes. He crouched besides the boy and picked him up. The child went willingly into his arms, intoxicated, drugged. He would live the rest of his life with lasting consequences, if he lived at all. _

_ Viktor left without saying anything, bringing the body of the child closer to his chest, and the rest of the children just watched him go in silence.  _

Behind the mask, creator Viktor, machine herald Viktor watches the soft blue light of Piltover’s night and wishes with all that remains of his human heart that he could see it burn to ashes.

* * *

Later that night, Jayce enters Viktor’s laboratory with a smile and some more coffee. Viktor doesn’t unmask, doesn’t even turn from his workbench, doesn’t even greet him. 

“Hey, I brought you some-” Before the sentence is out, Viktor throws a wrench with the considerable strength of his robotic arm in the direction of his toolbox, it clatters loudly onto the floor and the toolbox follows, all the metallic little pieces spreading across the floor. “Viktor?” 

Viktor then turns upon being called, and carefully watches Jayce with predatory yellow eyes behind the mask. His voice is distorted and constrict, he gestures with his hand in disdain. 

“You’d do good in returning to the safety of Giopara’s mansion tonight, Jayce. I’m not in the mood to play your whimsy games of romance.” Jayce opens his mouth and closes it, surprised at the venom in Viktor’s words. He seems to re-think what he was about to say.

“That’s… You know I no longer- Did something happen?” 

“A stupid question. Things happen all the time, Jayce, whether you choose to acknowledge them is another matter entirely.” Viktor huffs in mockery, dark and full of loathing. Jayce blinks in confusion. “Aren’t you good at that? Casting your eyes away from the things that make you uncomfortable? All of you are.” 

Jayce takes a weary step forward despite being taken aback by Viktor’s burning words. He frowns but tries to remain calm, leaving all the stuff he brought along on a workbench at his side. 

“If you tell me what’s happened maybe I can-” Jayce opens his hands towards Viktor, and he bursts with a sudden fury Jayce doesn’t understand. 

“What?” Viktor yells and Jayce takes another step back, “What will you do? Are you going to fix it? Are you going to comfort me so I can forget? so I can sleep? I’m afraid that won’t do. I will never rest easy as long as Piltover keeps on leeching on the innocent people of Zaun. I will never look the other way, I will never be like you!” Viktor gets closer and pronounces the last words pointing a finger at Jayce, full of bitterness and rancour.

He remains silent, the only sound Viktor’s ragged breathing between them. Jayce squares his jaw, clenching his fists and exhaling carefully. 

“I take it you regret us getting together.” Viktor lets out a frustrated scream, gesturing with his hands in the air, and that’s how Jayce knows that that was the wrong thing to say entirely. Viktor turns, exasperated. 

“Once more I’m talking about something more important, bigger than both of us, and you refuse to see anything but your own interests!” 

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Viktor!” Jayce shrugs, starting to yell too. “I wouldn’t have to guess If you could start making sense and just tell me!” Viktor screams again and Jayce is genuinely scared that Viktor has become completely mad. 

“Leave!” Viktor yells again. Jayce opens his mouth to speak and Viktor yells yet louder, aggressive and furious “I said leave!”

And Jayce just does that. 

* * *

“So you got dumped, huh?” Vi is sitting across him at his desk, boots on it. She slurps loudly at a crazy straw stuck into a bright pink drink. Jayce sighs.

“So it seems.” He breathes out, sliding down his chair. Vi looks somewhat sad at him. 

“I’m sorry, man.” Jayce huffs, scratching at his beard distractedly, and sighs again. 

“It was too good to be true. We’ve been through too much shit to reconcile overnight, it was bound to happen sooner or later.” Vi puts her drink down and looks at Jayce with a expression of being lost in thought, and squints. 

“Didn’t he come to visit when you were injured, though? You two sucked faces if I’m not mistaken. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t have feelings.” Jayce sighs yet again, sliding lower down the chair, his body almost completely out of it. 

“That we did” says Jayce. ”I do think he has feelings for me, or at least  _ had _ , but I also think he has other contradictory feelings that won’t allow him to just… give in. I don’t know how to put it. You get my meaning.” Vi nods, drinking from her crazy straw. 

“As you said, too much shit going on for years.” 

“Yeah.” Jayce now looks out the window, straightening in his chair. “I guess there are things you just can’t come back from.” His voice ends in a whisper. Vi looks at his profile, getting as serious as few times during their friendship. 

“At least you tried.” 

Jayce huffs, a bitter expression on his face. 

“Did I?” 

* * *

Viktor paces around the room frantically, a million thoughts running through his head. Deep inside, he knows that Jayce is not to blamed for everything that happens in Zaun, deep down, another voice says that  _ yes, they all are. All Piltovians are to blame for allowing it.  _

He sits on a stool and unclasps his mask, he sweeps the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, his human leg ticks nervously and Viktor grips his knee like iron, stopping it. He throws his mask against the wall in a short outburst. He wants to scream.

_ I should be working _ , he thinks, idle hands are a cursed. There are more important things he should be attending to, rather than worrying about love and Jayce as if he were twenty years old again. 

And that’s just it, isn’t it? That’s the thing that eats away at him, the feeling that he remains troubled by the exact same problems he always has. How angry it makes him, that he can’t remove all these anxieties rooted at the very core of his psyche with just a scalpel.

It makes him livid that he can lose control of his good judgement that easily, because of something as  _ petty _ as emotions. He remains a disgusting little man, no matter how much metal he sticks into his body. 

Only by letting go of his mind will he achieve tranquility. 

_ No, no. No. You’re spiraling. You have to stop. _ Viktor knows himself that much, he knows when his mind wanders down dangerous paths. He won’t give in to the worst emotions of his heart. He won’t. 

Viktor gazes up to the darkened ceiling of his lab and exhales a controlled breath. The artificial light of the fluorescents bothers his tired eyesight enough to make him close his eyes. 

“Greetings, Creator Viktor.” Blitzcrank says, and Viktor directs his gaze towards the golem buzzing at the entrance of the room.

“Hello, Blitzcrank.” Viktor’s voice is weak, he can allow that in front of Blitzcrank, the thing he trusts more in the world. He feels tired, this is the downfall of his anger, an exhausted, spent, sorrow. “How are you?” 

Blitzcrank walks towards him balancing his weight from one foot to the other ceremoniously, Viktor can’t help but find it sort of endearing. 

“I’m in need of repairs. A screw became loose but I have failed to assert its original place.” Blitzcrank then extends one of his arms to Viktor, there is a small golden screw in the center of it, dwarfed by Blitzcrank’s enormous hand. “If, however, you are not amenable to attend to my urgent request, I can come back at another time.” 

Viktor arches an eyebrow in surprise and looks at Blitzcrank, wondering. It has asked for repairs in the past, but never with that particular wording. Once Blitzcrank even came to see him with his head on one hand, as if it were nothing. 

“I will repair it now.” Blitzcrank nods and if Viktor didn’t know any better he would say that Blitzcrank looks  _ relieved _ . 

“Thank you, creator. You are always quick at lending me your assistance.” Viktor squints now, suspicious. 

“Why do you say that?” Blitzcrank observes him with curiosity, as if it were obvious. He takes the screw in his hand and turns to look for the tools that still remain scattered across the floor. 

“I am stating that which is a constant: Creator has never denied me assistance. For that, I am grateful that creator unit is part of my existence.” Viktor stares at Blitzcrank, a bunch of tools in his lap.

“What prompted this line of thinking?” Viktor speaks carefully, choosing his words well as to not influence Blitzcrank’s answer in any way. Blitzcrank seems reluctant to answer at first, its eyes blink twice before it decides what’s going to say. 

“During the encounter against the chem-barons that took my arms, I realized my existence was sure to end. When I arrived at this conclusion, I thought that given free choice, I would prefer to remain in this world. Fortunately, Jayce unit arrived at the exact time required to save me, not without a great cost to himself.” Blitzcrank comes to a stop and scratches the top of his small head with one of his arms. “I began to ponder about these matters for some time, and realized too that my existence could come to an end by other means. For instance; if Creator Viktor died, there would be no one left with the required knowledge to repair my body. Followingly, I thought; even if there were such a human being, I would still prefer said human to be Viktor.” 

Viktor remains in silence during long seconds, thinking, standing there in the middle of his lab under the attentive gaze of his creation, whirring mechanisms working the impossibility of its own thoughts. 

“I am glad that you’re alive as well, Blitzcrank.” Viktor says, “I could build another steam golem if you died, but I too would still prefer it to be you.” 

* * *

Some days pass by during which they don’t talk nor see each other. 

Thinking, though, is another matter entirely. 

Jayce looks at his fake arm distractedly. It is a wonder of technology that Viktor devised only for him. It’s so good and precise Jayce sometimes forgets he doesn’t have an arm at all. He had lost his real one during the fight against the chem-barons, after that Viktor built him the best prosthetic he had ever laid eyes on. The design was elegant and light, the functionality perfect, and it didn’t do much more than what a normal arm would, just as Jayce had asked in the end. 

When Viktor showed it to him, Jayce could see how proud he was of his invention, if only in the way he spoke so highly of its capabilities. Then, Jayce had told him that he was thinking of covering it up with a layer of fake but very realistic skin. 

Viktor stopped talking and glared at him, he was so offended by Jayce’s choice that it was almost funny. 

“Unprincipled, craven, contemptibly timid, cowardly. I’m speechless, disgusted, I have no words.” Viktor went on and on about how distasteful Jayce’s choice was, and Jayce had had a wonderful time laughing with Viktor about it. They had become closer each time they talked, little touches here and there. 

It had been a good day, so good Jayce had thought possible that they could finally reconcile.

Jayce flexes the fingers of his realistic, mechanical hand, and wonders if everything is truly lost.

* * *

Viktor has been waiting for Jayce to come back, he won’t admit it out loud, but he has rumiated over it long enough now that he can confronts his feelings with a certain degree of honesty. He would like to have the opportunity to apologize for his outburst, or to talk at the very least. 

Blitzcrank looks at him, almost lost in thought.

“If during your last encounter you were the one to behave inappropriately, social norm indicates you should be the one to take the first step towards reconciliation now.” Viktor grunts in response, he doesn’t fully understand yet how it is that he has ended discussing his unexisting love life with a robot. But the truth is that since Blitzcrank talked about its newly found sense of mortality, its thoughts have become extraordinarily more complex than before. Viktor reflects about the essence of human thinking while Blitzcrank’s mechanisms whir loudly “Are you listening, Creator?” 

“Ah, yes. I was just wondering. Perhaps you’re right.” Viktor hums and keeps on drawing schematics on a piece of paper in front of him. 

“Are you afraid that unit Jayce won’t forgive you?” Blitzcrank asks, and Viktor has to wonder himself. 

* * *

The next day, Viktor makes up his mind to go to Piltover, a million different outcomes playing out in his mind. At best, he thinks, they will make their peace and continue to be friends, to be something more if time will allow it. At worst, they weren’t meant to be anything else than adversaries. 

Viktor is ready to face every possibility. Talking to Blitzcrank has proven to be more therapeutic than he had initially consider, the same way its company had been comforting in ways Viktor hadn’t thought possible. 

Blitzcrank would remain, as always, a constant source of joy and pride for him. 

Viktor traverses the dark alleys of Piltover at night, directing his steps north. It’s been years since Jayce moved out of Giopara’s mansion in Bluewind Court, but he hadn’t gone far. It’s only sensible Giopara wouldn’t like to have his investment taken away from him that easily. He has wondered many times about what would Don Giopara say about their sudden friendship. Surely, he wouldn’t be happy about it.

Good. 

A drone flies by without detecting his presence and Viktor almost wants to laugh at the failure that is Piltovian engineering. He goes by some houses until he finds the one. 

The lights are on despite the late hour and Viktor considers whether he should knock at the door or break into the house.

Well, he wouldn’t like to draw unnecessary attention to them. 

  
  


* * *

Jayce is working on an improved design for his convertible pry bar, he has had some good ideas and can’t sleep that much. He figures he can still use this time to be productive. The pry bar shuts down after the first try and Jayce runs his fingers through his hair, exasperated. A discreet cough makes him jump. 

“Uh, I would have knocked, but I thought it best to not make much noise in the middle of the night.” Viktor comes unmasked, stepping out of the darkness and into the spotlight of the only source of light in the laboratory. 

Jayce lets out a shaky breath and runs to hug Viktor, deciding against it at the last moment. Viktor doesn’t respond to it and Jayce stops in his tracks in front of him, nervous eyes checking Viktor up and down. 

“I really thought you didn’t want to talk to me anymore-” Jayce begins, but Viktor interrupts him. 

“Forgive me, I shouldn’t have lashed out at you that way. I was... not in my most lucid moment. An accident in Zaun involving Naph made me angry. I should know better by now... I know this, I- 

Jayce just grabs his face and kisses him, Viktor stays frozen in place, unresponsive. 

“What are you doing?” His tone is of quiet desperation, a pained whisper. Jayce grabs his face stronger now, thumbs over Viktor’s cheeks. 

“I’m kissing you, because I want you and you want me despite whatever the fuck you’re trying to sell yourself. And before you say anything about Zaun or Piltover you must know I’m on your side. I wasn’t before, but I am now.” Viktor’s expression is constrict, serious, dark. Jayce sighs. “Damn, you’re stubborn.” 

“So are you” says Viktor, still serious but with a softer expression. Jayce counts that as a win. 

Jayce sighs a second time. “Let us try for real this time, you can blame everything on me afterwards if you want. Let’s do it my way for a change. Trust me.” Viktor looks miserable, sad and pleading and Jayce can’t take it, his heart growing with how much he loves this brooding, sorrowful man. “Please.” 

It takes Viktor a few seconds, but finally, he sighs and with a weary little voice he says “Fine.” 

Jayce takes his chance and kisses him again, only this time Viktor is waiting for it. 

“We’ve been mortal enemies” says Viktor after the soft kiss, matter of factly. 

“Except when we weren’t.” replies Jayce, and Viktor looks deadly serious. 

“That is not a good answer. That is just fact, it doesn't make sense, doesn't erase anything.”

“I’m just a little man, I’ll take whatever happiness I can find and run.” 

“What about the others? ” Jayce knows he’s speaking of Zaun, of the people in need of help.

“I’ll fight for them for as long as I can, but it’s not a requirement to be miserable while I’m doing it. Or is that part of the job description?” Viktor huffs in response and Jayce tries for a smile. 

“I don’t think we will ever see eye to eye on that particular matter. You're such a selfish man.” Jayce circles Viktor’s waist with his arms and pulls him closer, feeling the cold of his armor on the palm of his hands. 

“Try my way for a while.” Viktor inhales deeply and Jayce feels his chest expand against his. Viktor closes his eyes for a second. 

“I’ve already said yes.” Viktor replies, and Jayce smiles wide and happy. Viktor keeps a serious face, pursing his lips like an angry child, which only makes Jayce giddier. 

This is everything Jayce ever wanted, for Viktor to just say yes. 

Jayce shoves Viktor back until they reach the door that connects the workshop to his house. Viktor is slightly taller than him and Jayce enjoys the height difference when he goes up the first step into the hall and turns to kiss Viktor. He looks up at Jayce and takes his hand, closing the door behind them with the other. Jayce takes off his own shirt without asking and goes in for another kiss, he opens the clip that holds Viktor’s cape around his neck and it falls, pooling at their feet. 

“Wait, what-” 

“You said yes.” Jayce whispers, interrupting Viktor’s question, and he swallows, looking at Jayce with eyes wide open for a moment. 

“I did.” He whispers back, as if he were surprised at himself, and Jayce continues to open the vest with quick hands. Viktor takes off his gloves in the meantime, caressing Jayce’s naked waist and back. He shivers at how cold his metallic hand is against his own skin, he shivers at how warm his real one feels. Viktor lets Jayce help him out of his shirt. The moment Viktor’s chest is naked he can see the full extent of Viktor’s body modifications. The metal of his left arm extends to half his chest, without reaching his heart. Jayce stares unapologetic and begins to follow the line between metal and flesh with his hand. Viktor looks down at him with a weird expression, messy dark hair falling over his eyes. Viktor shudders under Jayce’s hand and kisses him again, shoving him back again against a new door. Inside there isn’t much apart from a bed, which is the only thing Jayce really needs right now. 

He kicks his own boots in the way to the bed and Viktor does the same while they try to kiss in between. When finally the end of the bed touches the back of Viktor’s legs, Jayce only needs a little push to make him sit, and another push with both of his hands on Viktor’s shoulders to make him lie back. Viktor offers no resistance whatsoever and Jayce tries to be as gentle as he can. He sits on him, straddling his waist. 

He smiles, cheeky, and stops for a second to take in the sight. Viktor looks up at him with sweet half-lidded eyes and disheveled dark hair, his expression open and somewhat tired. Jayce can relate with that. He exhales, satisfied with himself nonetheless. 

“I can’t hardly believe it’s really happening.” Jayce says, wholeheartedly honest, and Viktor huffs an almost laugh. 

“You needn’t embarrass yourself, I’m already in your bed.” Jayce leans down, supporting his weight on his hands at both sides of Viktor’s head, to kiss him again. 

“Yes, you are.” Jayce slides a hand over Viktor’s jaw, neck and shoulder, lower everytime. Jayce bites at the edge of Viktor’s pants and he exhales in response, looking down at him almost coldly, curious. A shiver runs down his spine at that. 

This knowledge is only meant for Jayce, the world will never know this Viktor, this human man full of obligation, good intentions and genius. 

Viktor wouldn’t let anyone else have it. Only him, only Jayce. Just knowing that makes Jayce feel warmer. 

He helps Viktor out of his pants and does the same with his, throwing the clothes somewhere on the floor. His robotic leg goes up almost to the hip and Jayce kisses the space between metal and Viktor’s shaft. Viktor takes in a huge breath through his nose and Jayce caresses the tip with a wet thumb, moving up his body to kiss him once more. 

This time Viktor is the one to grab his face and kiss him with hunger. Jayce lets out a gasp against Viktor’s mouth. They clash now, in a frenzy of teeth and lips, and Jayce begins to prepare himself. Viktor grabs his ass and bites at his lower lip, prompting him up so he has a supporting point. Jayce lets out a very emotional and heartfelt ‘fuck’ at that.

Once Jayce is prepared, Viktor sits, supporting both their weights with his robotic arm behind him. Jayce lets go of his body sinking down Viktor’s cock and stops only when he’s fully seated, letting out a gasp. Jayce looks up instinctively and when he finally casts down his eyes he meets Viktor’s. He is absolutely delighted to find such expression of astonished wonder on Viktor’s face. He hangs his arms around his neck and their foreheads touch. Viktor’s hair is parted at the middle, messy but out of the way, and his face is clear. 

He looks like he just found enlightenment and Jayce chuckles at that. 

“Jayce”, it’s just his name, meaningful and meaningless. On Viktor’s lips it sounds pained. Jayce starts to move slowly up and down, Viktor’s grip strengthens at his hip just as his own rise in rhythm. 

They’re almost chest to chest and it’s so much better like this, with Viktor’s eyes on his face all the time, close and analyzing. He bites softly at his jaw and Jayce closes his eyes in perfect bliss. He realizes belatedly that Viktor is way stronger than him, perhaps due to his body modifications, but his stamina and the way he’s supporting both their weights with one hand without tiring is something to behold. 

Viktor makes a whimpering noise at the back of his throat and Jayce opens his eyes at the sound, just in time to watch. He is suddenly struck with inspiration, and just as Viktor rocks up his hips, Jayce rolls his, breaking the rhythm they’ve set. Viktor bites the inside of his cheeks, hard, and Jayce grins. 

That’s when Viktor growls, flinging Jayce down on his back, lifting his legs up over his shoulders. Jayce groans at Viktor’s sudden enthusiasm. 

“I love you.” It escapes Jayce as a exhale, a spirit, without his consent. Viktor gazes down at him, dark hair falling between them, and comes to a stop. For a second, Viktor just scans his face, breathing unevenly. Jayce is afraid he might have spoiled the moment and he’s about to open his mouth when Viktor replies. 

“I love you too.” It’s the first time Jayce has ever heard him say it, and the way he pronounces it, he makes it sound painful, forlorn, inevitable. 

Almost like doom. 

Jayce grabs his face and pulls him down for a kiss. 

* * *

Afterwards, they lie next to each other, legs intertwined below the sheets. Viktor sleeps on his side and Jayce seizes up the opportunity to admire him as much as he wants. 

It’s after a while that Viktor grabs his face and drags it into the pillow as Jayce laughs. 


End file.
